Jim Butcher’s fantasy series

I’m nearly finished with Cursor’s Fury, the third book in Jim Butcher’s Codex Alera series. I’m a big fan of the Dresden Files book, and haven’t been disappointed by this series. It’s a richly imagined world, with a feel of ancient Rome (with references that include the Tiber River and legionares). The magic is based on furies, which seem similar to D&D elementals. Our hero, Tavi, is the only person in the world (that’s been introduced or that anyone knows of) who has no access to a fury. Water, air, fire and earth furies have been mentioned so far, although there may be others that I’ve missed. The military scenes, of which there are many, are exciting and ring true. I don’t want to mention any spoilers in this brief overview, but I will say that Tavi and others fighting down a long stairwell into the bowels of the First Lord’s castle will have you on the edge of your seat. Fully the last third of Cursor’s Fury involves a battle. Tavi is amazingly inventive. Sometimes it does get the feel of him always saving the day, but he has an appealing personality and a self-deprecating attitude that keeps it from being insufferable. Highly recommended.